North Shore DA praises change in law to deny bail

North Shore District Attorney Warren Montgomery praised state lawmakers Tuesday (June 19) for changing state law at his request to deny bail to defendants convicted of serious sex offenses that are also crimes of violence.

DA Warren Montgomery

The amendment to the state's criminal code was sponsored by state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, approved by both legislative bodies and recently signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards, Montgomery said in a news release.

"After conviction of any crime punishable by imprisonment for twenty-five years or more that is both a sex offense and a crime of violence, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the release of the person convicted will pose a danger to another person or the community and that there is a substantial risk that the person convicted might flee," Montgomery quoted the amendment as saying.

Last year, Montgomery directed his staff to draft proposed legislation when two of his assistant district attorneys won a conviction of a child predator after a weeklong jury trial, and the defendant was allowed to remain out on bond for nearly two months until his sentencing, the release said. The defendant had proven ties to other states and two other countries, and he was facing 25 to 99 years in prison.